THE government has identified 39 sites across Metro Manila for flood catchment projects as it moves to increase temporary water storage amid heavier rainfall.
Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said the government received the shortlist from Dutch engineering consultancy Royal HaskoningDHV, which assessed potential locations for the projects.
The sites are in Parañaque, Quezon City, San Juan, Navotas, Pasay, Pateros, Malabon, Las Piñas and other parts of the National Capital Region, she told reporters on Thursday.
“So, 39 so far — these are the ones that have been selected,” she said in Filipino. “Hopefully, there will be no obstacles to implementing the project so that we can have places where rainwater can be temporarily collected, so that it does not overflow onto the road and cause flooding.”
The shortlist expands the 30 sites identified by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday.
MMDA Chairman Romando “Don” S. Artes, Jr. said Haskoning identified potential locations using nature-based solutions, including underground catchments and lowered open spaces.
The projects could involve digging beneath existing facilities or lowering open areas, which would be restored for their original use after serving as temporary detention areas, Mr. Artes said.
The government expects detailed engineering designs to be completed by the end of August, with construction to follow.
Some projects could be completed within six months, while larger ones could take one to one-and-a-half years, Mr. Artes said.
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Philippine government will partly finance the projects, with costs to depend on engineering and feasibility studies.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. separately inspected the Tripa de Gallina Pumping Station in Pasay City and said more pumping stations were needed as rainfall intensifies.
“Because of climate change, because of the increase in volume of rainfall that has been coming to the Philippines and will come in the future, we are installing additional pumping stations,” Mr. Marcos said in a livestreamed event.
The government plans to install 13 more pumping stations in and around Manila, most of which are expected to be operational by the end of this year or early next year, he said.
Mr. Marcos also pointed to garbage as a continuing problem for pumping stations. The Tripa de Gallina pumps were operating properly, he said, but their efficiency was reduced when trash entered the system.
The government is also pursuing waste-to-energy projects, with the Department of Energy conducting auctions for such facilities.
“So, they are already bidding on that waste-to-energy project,” Mr. Marcos said. “As long as the financing is fixed and is available, I think we will be able to put those into action by next year.”
The enhanced southwest monsoon brought heavy rain to Metro Manila this week, with 201.7 millimeters recorded over five hours, prompting the government to accelerate flood control measures.
Mr. Marcos on Wednesday said the rainfall was equivalent to almost 50,000 Olympic-size swimming pools and was “becoming a little bit like the new normal.”
The government has also ordered continued clearing of waterways and drainage systems after garbage clogged waterways and worsened flooding in the capital.
Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is monitoring companies’ compliance with the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act as the government seeks to reduce plastic waste that can clog waterways and pumping stations, Ms. Castro said.
The DENR has issued 155 show-cause letters to enterprises over possible violations, she said.
“The EPR Act serves as a carrot-and-stick mechanism requiring producers to recover and recycle their plastic packaging waste,” Ms. Castro said, citing the DENR. “However, based on what we have observed, the companies’ activities likely require further monitoring.”
The agency’s audited recovery rates in 2024 reached 59.98% for rigid plastics and 56.33% for flexible plastics, exceeding the legal target of 40%, she said.
The recovery targets rise to 60% in 2026 and 80% in 2028.
Companies that fail to recover plastic waste or meet their EPR obligations face multimillion-peso penalties, Ms. Castro said. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking
